Personal Injury Law Articles
Amusement Park Accidents: Top 4 Contributing Factors

With the warm weather now upon us, more and more people are spending their days at amusement parks. They are a favorite pastime for people of all ages, but the danger that the rides can cause is something that people do not think about, or at least they try not to think about.

Amusement park accidents are a reality that all park visitors should be aware of. The exact number of injuries that are sustained by amusement park rides is unknown, but emergency rooms report treating an average of 7,000 people each year for amusement park related injuries, ranging from minor injuries to death.

There are a number of different reasons why theme park injuries can occur:

• Mechanical failure : After all, the rides are just machines, and machines do sometimes fail. Some mechanical failures that are commonly associated with theme park accidents are broken or missing structural components, malfunctioning safety features, failure to stop, or improper detachment of cars or structural pieces.

• Operator behavior : Just as rides are simply machines, operators are people, and people sometimes make mistakes. Also, some operators are more cautious than others. The following behaviors are some of the operator errors that are linked to park accidents : abruptly stopping the ride, incorrect maintenance of the ride, and ignoring safety equipment and measures.

• Consumer behavior : Operators are trained to use the machinery at amusement parks and they still make mistakes, so just imagine how easy it is for consumers to make dangerous mistakes. When at a theme park, make sure to follow all of the safety regulations including height requirements, wearing safety belts and other safety equipment, and even wearing the proper clothing. These restrictions are in place to ensure the safety of you as well as the safety of others.

• Design defects : Amusement park rides are designed to produce a thrill. It is often difficult for engineers to design rides that are both thrilling and safe, especially as riders are demanding bigger and faster rides.

The federal Consumer Product Safety Commission is responsible for checking the safety of theme park rides, and rides are inspected before anyone has a chance to ride them. Before the opening of a theme park each day, the rides are sent for a few test runs without any passengers. There are many steps taken to ensure the safety of rides, but accidents can and do still occur. Sometimes a ride that seems perfectly safe may actually be really dangerous. This is especially true of new rides. If you are weary of the safety of a ride, it is best to be cautious and pick another ride to go on. Your instincts may be right and it’s better to be safe than sorry.

The law firm of Goidel and Siegel has the best park injury attorneys located in NYC.
We are committed to fighting for the rights of our clients and helping them obtain the highest possible financial compensation for sustaining injuries. Contact us today.